


Things are not like they used to be back in Ba Sing Se

by Shireith



Series: Zutara Week 2018 [4]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Crystals, F/M, Zutara Week 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-06-22 10:00:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15579429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shireith/pseuds/Shireith
Summary: Zutara Week 2018: day 5 (crystals)Katara and Zuko end up in a cave full of crystals similar to the one they had been kept as prisoners in Ba Sing Se. But there's a difference, because now things have changed.





	Things are not like they used to be back in Ba Sing Se

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a little behind schedule (I should've posted this on the 2nd), but I've been pretty busy. Part 5 and 6 will also be published soon, so I hope you'll like it.  
> 

The storm had caught them unprepared. Greeting them with a clear sky and a bright yellow sun, the day had suddenly changed into a rainy one, either of them not having the chance to acknowledge it in time. 

Katara and Zuko were getting some wood near a forest. Aang, Toph, Suki and Sokka were down to the closest city running some errands. Since the house they were temporarily staying at was rather distant, Zuko suggested they would better take shelter nearby until the rain hadn’t stopped.

Katara agreed and followed him to a cave they reached in less than five minutes of running. 

Once safe from the rain, Katara bended the water away from both her clothes and Zuko’s. “We’re in the Firenation and it’s raining? In the middle of summer?” she complained while still drying Zuko’s garments.

“It happens more often than you can imagine.”

“Well, it’s a drag” she huffed. “Anyway, how did you know about this place?”

Zuko looked troubled by that question. It was, however, just for an instant, because then he shook his head as if to chase a bad thought away and answered, “It happened the same thing when I was a child. I was in the woods when then suddenly it started raining, so I thought I would better take shelter here.”

Katara nodded. “There you go, you’re dry now.”

Zuko felt as if the water hadn’t even touched him once. “Thank you.”

“It was nothing.” Now that she was finished, Katara sat on a rock and, elbows on her knees, gathered her head on the palms of her hands and glanced at the rain still raging outside. “Do you think it will last long?”

Zuko shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. Last time it stopped raining pretty soon, but you can never know. Are summer storms supposed to last long?”

Katara laughed. “I wouldn’t be asking you if I knew.”

Zuko laughed, too, and ran one hand through his hair. “Yeah, you’re right. Sorry.”

There was a moment of silence.

Katara, short on things that would take her mind off, took a more accurate look at the composition of the cave. It didn’t help much, because it was actually average: the entrance was, of course, littered with rocks, and in front of it there was a gallery whose end Katara could not see.

“Do you know what’s there?” she asked Zuko.

“I don’t. Last time I’ve been here it was dark, and I admit I was too scared. Also, my firebending skills were so lacking I couldn’t use them to make some light for much longer.”

Katara smirked. “But now they’re not.»  

Zuko furrowed his brows in a funny way. “You cannot be serious.”

“Why not? Are you scared?”

Zuko seemed offended by her insinuation. “Scared of darkness, me? _Please_.” He stood up and approached the gallery at the double. “Come on, let’s move!”

Katara was delighted. Apparently, it didn’t take much to challenge Zuko’s honor—they were like besties, after all. She laughed to herself and then followed him.

Zuko quickly lit a small flame on his right hand to light the way. The gallery went straight about 900 feet. At the end of it, they were witnessing something incredible—an underground cave illuminated in an evocative way by crystals made of green fluorescent light.  

“It’s beautiful.”

Zuko glanced at her. Mouth opened in astonishment, the light of the crystals reflected her eyes filled with wonder. He blushed and turned away.

The old Zuko, as the angry kid he was, wouldn’t have agreed. He would have, in fact, pointed out there was nothing to be amazed of. But the new Zuko – which, by the way, was the real one – could easily understand the beauty nature was able to offer. “Yes, it truly is.”

Katara walked down the center of the cave. “It’s like in Ba Sing Se, remember? Though I didn’t expect we’d find similar caves here.”

“Don’t tell me. If I’d known, I’d have come here with her.”

“Mh?”

Zuko realized too late what he had just done. He shook his head and said, “Nothing, I was just thinking out loud.”

If Katara had known what he was referring to, she’d have never forced him to explain it to her. But Zuko had just said something she couldn’t understand, and Katara, just out to curiosity, wanted to know. “Who’s _her_? Does this mean you weren’t here alone last time?”

“No, I was alone, as I said.”

“Then who’s _her_?”

“Would you stop asking me that? Why do you even care so much?” Zuko burst out. He realized too late he had just lost it and felt like a jerk.

Katara was displeased by his attitude and turned her back to him. “As you want. I don’t even care.”

How stupid he had just been!

Would she have reconsidered their relationship, now that he had been so rude to her? Would she have thought he hadn’t really changed? Zuko didn’t want it to happen, he really cared about their friendship. Therefore he said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say that. It’s just, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Don’t worry, it’s fine.”

Zuko knew Katara well enough to understand when she was lying—and now she was. His apologies weren’t enough. The only way to make her understand his behavior was telling her the truth. But was he willing to talk about something so personal? Surprisingly, yes.

“I lied” he said, quickly drawing Katara’s attention. “I didn’t came alone last time, my mother was here, too. Like you, she wanted to see what was down here, but I was so scared that she changed her mind. But now I wish I could go back in time and accept, because I’m sure she’d have loved all this.” 

Katara felt horrible. Like Zuko, she also had lost a mother she loved so much. Just thinking about her made her feel poorly, let alone talk about her with other people. She’d have cried for sure.

And now she had forced Zuko to reopen the wound and dig into it.

Katara swallowed and mumbled his name quietly, as if even saying his name made her feel guilty. He looked at her. “What I said before, that this cave reminds me of Ba Sing Se—well, it’s not completely true. This time I’m sure you won’t betray my trust anymore. I’m sorry I misjudged you.” And then she hugged him like she did when she had forgiven him after they had found her mother’s murderer.

Like the first hug, Zuko wasn’t expecting this one either. Not that he minded, because it was pleasing and reassuring—after all, Katara’s hugs were very special.

 


End file.
